Royal Darkness
by SRSK
Summary: Sequel to Masked Paradise. Form of Reverse/Rebirth, not Chain of Memories.
1. It's All In a Matter of Time

**Royal Darkness**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Kingdom Hearts Saga except for Saiyoku.**

"Uh, wh—where am I?" Saiyoku woke with a start, completely confused; her senses seemed to be on hyperactive mode. She was floating on her back in a sea of foggy gray, nothing around her. Well, she'd been in darkness, through light, and now this?

"Riku? Your Majesty?" She sat up slowly, unaccustomed to the total lack of gravity. There was no one around. How was she supposed to get back?

_Light… or the dark? Does it matter?_

"Oh what do you know, it's you again. It's been what? A year?"

_You must re-decide._

"Re-decide? Why? I'm perfectly happy with my choice, thank you very much Mister-picky-choosy-disembodied-voice-inside-my-head."

_It is not because of you, but because of Riku._

"Hmm?"

_What he chose and what he rejected just now affected you._

"Wait… So where is he?"

_He has now chosen the path in-between light and dark, same as you._

"You did not answer my question, and how does this matter?"

_That Paopu fruit affects it. Do you still believe that you can help him on this path? Or that he can help you?_

"If I picked it, I'm staying with it. Did you really think I'd stray from this path?"

_No._

"Then shoo you little voice, shoo!"

_One more thing. Here._

An elongated crown shaped card appeared in front of her, and she took it. It had a picture of a dark grassy field with a crossroad in the center.

_This card will allow you to go to this place. The King is here. If you want to, you may go. If not, you will stay asleep here forever. That card is the pathway to a long and perilous journey, where you will hear many truths and lies and see much pain and suffering. Stay here if you want to be safe from these dangers, where sleep is eternal._

"Any upsides?"

_Choose._

"You just do not like happy things. Okay… umm…" She looked around the gray sea and thought long and hard. _The voice had mentioned the King, but didn't mention Riku… The best odds are that he's with his Majesty and they're waiting for me,_ she thought.

"Okay, I choose to go. See ya later!" She disappeared in a flash of light; the card was left behind, fluttering in place, as if it was falling but not getting anywhere.

_Irrational child, but intelligent…_

King Mickey was wandering down a dirt path in the middle of an open field, the stars dim and barely visible, as if covered by a veil. A flash of light behind the dark gray clouds caught his eye and he looked up and saw what looked like a shooting star. It grew larger as it approached his Majesty. He gasped as he could make out a girl's features within the shining flame of light. The beam slowed and seemed to gradually turn so she would land on her feet.

She landed softly, the light dimming, her hair and clothes fluttering in the wind. Her knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed into the grass. The King ran toward her, nudging her awake.

"Hey, are you alright?"

She opened her eyes and picked herself up, looking down at her tiny little King.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Your Majesty." She dusted off her hands and did a tiny little flip of her hair with her hand before asking him, "Is Riku with you?"

He looked at her hard before responding, "Oh, you and that boy were the ones who were on the other side of the door with me. Your name is…?"

"Saiyoku."

"Okay, Saiyoku. The boy's name you said was Riku, right?"

She nodded, hoping that Riku just hadn't told him his name.

"So, do you know where he is?"

He looked up for a long time, trying to remember. He shrugged his shoulders, "Nope. But I'm sure we'll find him."

"We? Are you saying I can stay with you?"

"Of course. We can find your friend, and we'll find Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

"Alright, Your Majesty."

"Please, call me Mickey."

"Okay Your Maj—oh, I mean Mickey."

He held out his hand and Saiyoku took it. They continued to walk down the road, both discussing where they had been and her decision.

"Mickey, do you have any idea where we are?"

"I believe it's an area of the Dark Realm, kinda more like an outer shell than the main core, that's why it's not total darkness, and you can even see the stars. It also means, since we are still in the Dark Realm, and we'll have to find some way to get out, since all normal communication is blocked."

"So, no gummi ships?"

"Nope. We'll have to find out where Riku is, and if he's not in the Dark Realm anymore, then we'll have to find a way out of here somehow. It might take weeks, or at the most, years!"

"Heh, I guess we'll have to find something… but, there's absolutely NOTHING out here except this field." She gave a small smile, _Thanks for REALLY cheering me up, Your Majesty. How the heck are we supposed to get out of here!?_

"Look." He pointed in front of them, where a man in a black robe that shielded his face stood facing them, blocking their path.

"Who is he?"

Mickey ran forward and drew his Keyblade trying to attack the mysterious man. He dodged every single one of the King's attacks; he was clearly not in the mood for any fighting. He held up his hand to stop Mickey and pulled out another card. He disappeared into a dark portal, leaving the card behind. Saiyoku ran up and grabbed it, examining it from back to front. It wasn't the blue color the other card she had seen; it was black instead, with a picture of a strange castle.

She offered it to Mickey to let him see. He held it up as if to see it better before handing the card back to Saiyoku.

"Where do you think this castle is?"

"Maybe if we continue down this road, it'll eventually bring us there." Mickey pointed farther down the road, where all Saiyoku could see was more grass.

"I don't know, but… oh!" She almost dropped the card when it burst into light for a few seconds, glistening and reflecting the stars above. "What do you think that was about?" She started to turn it over again, but watched the reflection this time. It vanished and changed on the other side, and she held it up to try and get her own reflection. The other reflection was still there, not of her, but…

"Mickey, I think you need to take another look at this card." She passed it to him, and he turned it over too.

"That reflection… do you think?"

"Yep. That's where Riku is. But, who was that guy? And why did he give us this card?" She continued to watch the reflection.

"Hmm… maybe he was a good guy!"

"I don't know… something seems funny… why would he just give us the card and not say anything, like how to get there or whatnot?"

"Maybe he was shy?"

"Okay, seriously Mickey…" Saiyoku shook her head and smirked before beginning heading down the road, the King stunned behind her.

"What? What?" He asked, confused.

She continued to stare at the card, confused but happy. Now she knew where Riku was… It was a bit strange though that that guy had just appeared out of nowhere when they had just been talking about how to find Riku and how to get out. She turned the card so the reflection was just perfect, no glare. There was Riku's face in the reflection. Not hers, not the stars', not anything else, and he wasn't even there.

The King caught up with her quickly, and he asked for the card. She handed it to him and he drew his Keyblade.

"What are you gonna do?"

"Trace this card to where Riku is." The card burst into light again and hovered out of Mickey's hand. The Keyblade glowed too, and a burst of light surrounded both Saiyoku and King Mickey. "The castle is too far away, so I can't make it there just yet. We'll have to get closer, which will probably take us some time."

"Like, how much time?"

"A week or so."

"A week? But, Riku…"

"Don't worry Saiyoku. Don't you believe in your friend?"

She sighed, "Of course I do. I'm not worried about him; I'm worried about whoever's in that castle. Who knows what we'll be facing next."

"We'll find out eventually."

The light seemed to grow smaller until it barely covered them both.

"I'm going to be sending us there more in a spirit form, just so we can talk to Riku, if only for a moment. I have the strangest feeling that he needs help."

"Is it because every heart is connected? Is that how you can feel it? 'Cause I can feel it too."

"Ahuh, and that's how I'm utilizing this pathway for now. The ties between hearts are especially faint when far away, so the weaker the ties, the harder it is for me to use the pathway."

The field around them faded and instead showed an all white hallway, probably inside the castle. The image sharpened, showing Riku on one side of the hall with a man Saiyoku knew too well.

"Ansem!" She growled, "What's he doing here? And with Riku?"

"I don't know. But I can't hear what they're saying just yet. We need to get closer."

"Can Riku see us?"

"Eventually he'll be able to hear our voices, but all he'll see is a small ball of light."

The speech below grew louder and clearer, so both Saiyoku and the King could hear.

"—_so you can play puppetmaster."_

"_Clever boy. I knew you'd be the one to most appropriately serve me. And now, surrender to me again!"_ Ansem held out his hand.

"_You're crazy! Not a chance!"_ Riku drew his Souleater Keyblade and lunged for Ansem, who merely blocked it with a Dark Aura Shield, knocking Riku back to where he was, sprawled out on the floor.

"_Did you really think you could do me harm? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora when you had Darkness on your side."_

"Mickey, Riku's in trouble. We have to do something!"

"I know, but this trick takes some time. I'm almost there."

"We don't have time!"

Riku sat up, groaning, _"Well excuse me for being weak."_

"_You are weak." _Ansem taunted as he approached Riku, _"You need Darkness. Surrender. Bow to Darkness, bow to me!"_

"_That's not gonna happen."_

"Your Majesty!"

"I've got it!"

"_Only the Darkness can offer to you all of the strength that you will need."_

"You're wrong!" Mickey yelled to Ansem, and sure enough, Riku could hear him now. They lowered so they were standing in front of him rather than above him.

"_That voice…"_ Riku turned to follow whatever he was seeing that was circling him. He then looked back at us, whatever he had seen had stopped.

"_Your Majesty!?"_

"That's right! Remember Riku, you're not alone."

He nodded and followed whatever he saw until he was looking down at his chest. He held his hand above his heart.

"Listen close. The Light will never give up on you. You'll always find it, even in the deepest Darkness."

"_I got it. I won't lose to Darkness." _He stood up, _"Not today."_

Ansem crossed his arms and looked entirely smug. _"You think that feeble little light can save you? From the Darkness that I command!?"_

They both took their fighting stances and the scene began to fade.

"What? No, can't you keep it up longer, Mickey?"

"I'm sorry, Saiyoku. I can't. Riku's locked his heart for now, at least the pathways between them. He's trying with all his might to keep Ansem out and Light in, so he's cutting off all connection for a while."

The scene changed back to the field they were in again, and the card fluttered into Saiyoku's palm. She tucked it into one of her many pockets and sighed. _So close, yet so far…_


	2. Vexen's Plan

"Your Majesty, how are we supposed to get to that Castle? All I saw was the inside, so I couldn't tell where we were."

He stopped and thought about it before responding, "Well, I think that if we follow this path, the card will lead us to it. Can you sense his heart beyond the card? I think it will show us the way."

He continued forward, leaving Saiyoku behind. She pulled out the card and held it up to the sky. Riku's reflection was still there, his eyes closed as if sleeping. She stuffed it back in her pocket before sprinting to catch up with the King. He suddenly froze, ears perked up even more.

"I have a feeling we should check on Riku, don't you?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking about that. The card seemed a little funny…" She pulled it out and gave it to the King.

"This is a little different. He'll only be able to see me since I'm the one utilizing the pathway. This usage allows him to see me instead of the one that we used before."

The card glowed and hovered like the last time, and he placed his Keyblade directly in front of the card, and a little _click_ resounded from behind it.

"You'll be able to see him though. Just thought I'd mention it."

The light encircled the King for a moment before fading. Where the card had been was a transparent image, slowly sharpening as it grew larger. It was Riku, and he was walking toward them. He stopped, a confused look on his face.

"_Something smells… funny… What's that scent?" _He lifted his hand to his nose, as if trying to decipher what the smell was, _"It's so familiar… Oh! Darkness… it's the smell of Darkness… Huh… I can't believe this is happening. The Darkness even seeped into my skin."_

"Don't worry Riku." The King said, and Riku obviously heard it. He looked up and followed something Saiyoku couldn't see. Probably what he had seen before from the last time they talked to him.

"Can he see you now?"

The King nodded.

"_Your Majesty!"_

The King smiled, and Riku smiled back, relieved to see someone. But the smile vanished when he looked harder at the King's image.

"_Oh! What happened? I can see… right through you…"_

Mickey twisted around to see himself, "Funny, huh? I can only send a bit of my power to this place. That's why I've got a request for ya."

"_Request?"_

"Listen Riku. Just because Darkness holds you, don't let go of who you are. You've got to fight the Darkness inside you. It won't be easy to do, I know. But please don't forget: Even in the darkest Darkness, there's always a little bit of Light."

"_Light within Darkness."_

"You, Saiyoku, and I have seen it. The far welcoming Light inside the Door to Darkness. The Light of Kingdom Hearts: it will show you the way. Please don't give up. Believe in the Light. That's a request from my heart."

"_Okay. I'll do my best."_

"Trust me, I'll try to find a way to reach you. We'll get there, I promise." The King held out his hand, and Riku hesitantly grabbed it, but his hand went right through.

"_Oh! You're an illusion…"_

"Don't worry. We shook hands in our hearts, remember? We're connected, you and me, just like all hearts are."

"_Guess we are."_

The King closed the pathway again, and there was another _click_. Riku's image faded away, like he was never there, while the card floated safely into Saiyoku's waiting hands.

"He didn't guess that I was with you?"

"I guess not… but I believe that he'll try his best while we aren't there."

"You think he'll beat Ansem?"

"I believe so, and we'll find out when we get there."

Riku walked through the door from Agrabah, confident at his rate of passage. This was going to be easy. But as soon as he crossed about half the room, a dark portal appeared and out stepped a man in a black coat. He had long blond hair and creepy green bug eyes. He had an expression that made Riku feel like he was determining a way to experiment on him.

"I take it you're Riku." The mysterious man said, giving a cold smile.

"Are you with Ansem?" Riku stood at his 'ready' stance.

"You are half correct," the man explained, "Let us say that he is not the Ansem with which you are familiar. He IS Ansem and he is NOT Ansem. Perhaps a NOBODY best can phase the idea!"

"Riddles were never my thing. Try again." Riku told him coldly, ready to draw his SoulEater at any time.

"He belongs to neither the Light nor the Dark but walks the Twilight between."

"Oh!" Riku exclaimed as the clues began to click together in his head.

The man laughed, "Catching on now? Oh yes… You also stand in between the Light and the Darkness. It appears we have much in common."

"Maybe… like you said, there really is Darkness left inside of me…" He put his hand to his chest again, over his heart, "But so what?" He drew SoulEater and readied his fighting stance, "Darkness is my ENEMY! And so are you for reeking of that awful smell!"

"Oho! So it's a fight you want. Very good. I shall take you on." The man smiled evilly and drew a huge light blue shield with spikes on the top and one on the tip of the bottom.

Riku made the first attack, trying to win against him with speed, but the man easily blocked it with the shield. He lifted his other hand and spikes of ice flew up from underneath the ground, trying to impale Riku. He dodged and tried to attack from behind, landing a single hit before getting blasted with another ice attack. Icy bullets were shot from his enemy's hand and a few caught him on the shoulder.

"Too easy." The man said as more pillars of ice rose from the floor. Riku managed to shift his body just in time before one of the pointed pillars shot up in front of him, missing by just inches. He twisted and pushed off of the spike and shot right at the man. The ice melted instantly, leaving a clear path for Riku. His enemy simply blocked him again with his shield and Riku was knocked backward.

He landed lightly and easily on the balls of his feet and shot forward, trying his attack again. He was stopped, but he caught his footing and landed a heavy blow on the shield. The man simply laughed a creepy chuckle that made the hairs on the back of Riku's neck stand on end.

"I find coursing through you there is a Darkness of formidable power growing! Well worth the trouble of aggravating you. All this excitement has provided me with invaluable data!"

"What!?" Riku was pushed back by the man again, who lowered his shield and gave a small wave.

"Many thanks, Riku." A dark portal closed over him and he disappeared. Riku just about hit himself for letting himself get worked up like that. Now he had just fallen into that guy's trap so much more easily. He couldn't believe how stupid he had acted.

"Tch! It was a trick all along."

Saiyoku lay uncomfortably on a thick patch of grass, the King nearby. They really didn't have anything to use for sleeping but the fields themselves, so they made due with what they could find. She stared up at the dim sky, the stars barely visible.

"Somewhere up there… is our home… I wonder which one it is…" She looked at the many stars and sighed, unable to tell at all. "I guess it doesn't really matter. We won't get back home for a while, I suppose. Kairi's waiting for us. I bet she feels really left out… and probably lonely too, but what I can't help but feel sorry for is that she has to go back to school. By the time we're all reunited, it'll be too late to start up in school again, so might as well drop out." She turned on her side and murmured, "Listen to me… thinking about school. I'm such an idiot. Why do I even want to think about that?" She yawned and dozed off before falling deeply into sleep.


	3. Surprise! Enter: Repliku

**For non-confusion purposes, the Riku Replica will be called Repliku. Just clearing that up.**

"Huh? What are you supposed to be?" Riku stopped and stood in his "ready" stance.

"Surprised? I guess you should be. After all, I look just like you."

Riku watched as a copy of him approached, looking ever so smug.

"I'll tell you what I am. I'm an exact replica of you that Vexen made from your data."

"So you're a fake me."

The other Riku scowled, "Not a fake! I don't care if you're real, you're not better. We share the same body and the same talents. But… there is one easy way to tell us apart, though." He pointed to Riku.

Riku raised an eyebrow.

"Unlike you, I fear NOTHING!"

"Are you… calling me a COWARD?" He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands.

"You're afraid of the dark. The Darkness inside you still frightens you, no matter what you say."

"U—agh…" Riku stammered, not knowing how to answer that.

The fake gave a small grin, "BUT… I'm different. I embrace the Darkness. I can make it do whatever I want." He reached up and a cocoon of Darkness covered him for a moment and then vanished, leaving him with Riku's Dark Form. He drew Riku's SoulEater Keyblade and stood in the same battle ready stance as Riku. "So, I can wipe the floor with you."

Riku drew his Keyblade and took his stance. Repliku slashed his Keyblade down, sending two rows of Dark fire at Riku. He dodged and hit him a few times before backing away, expecting Repliku's next attack. Repliku jumped up and landed heavily on the ground next to Riku, seismic rings of Darkness exploding around him on impact. Riku backed away, trying to dodge before countering the attack. He slashed at him with a few combos before Repliku began the whole seismic attack again. Riku jumped and countered him. They both attacked each other evenly, simple combos that could be easily blocked.

Riku began to overtake the replica and used some of his own dark powers to afflict a series of strikes. He continued the assault until the fake backed down onto the floor, panting heavily. Riku stood across from him, still in his fighting stance.

"Hey, fake! I thought I heard you say you were gonna wipe the floor with me.

"Hmph, don't forget I'm still new. I'll get stronger and stronger." He stood up, "The next time we fight, you're finished!" He gritted his teeth while Riku raised his Keyblade.

"Then let's fight now!" He ran toward the replica and jumped to attack, but was knocked back by a Dark force field. He landed on his back a few feet away, and Repliku gave a dark laugh.

"It's NICE, having Darkness on my side. You are SO missing out. How could you be scared of something that's so thrilling?"

Riku sat up, "Enough."

"Hmph, so now the coward is playing tough. So long real thing, hope you don't miss me." He ran off, climbing the stairs. Riku scrambled to his feet yelling, "Come back!" but the fake had disappeared.

"Tch, no way. I'm not a coward." He grimaced, put away his Keyblade, and ran up the stairs after him.

"Come out! Show yourself, fake!" He stopped in the middle of the floor and looked around.

"Fake? Oh, no, that's not exactly the right word."

A dark portal opened in front of Riku and disappeared, leaving Ansem standing before him.

"What are you saying? Isn't he just a copy of me?"

"More like a model. He's an example of what you should TRY to be. He accepts the Darkness, just like you couldn't once help but accept me. But now you are afraid. Perhaps you are the one who is being fake. Fake when you pretend to have no fear."

"When have I been afraid of the Dark?"

"Inside of the Card Worlds, you grapple desperately with the Darkness. Desperation is fear. You fight the Darkness because, it is what frightens you." Ansem said, proving his point.

"I—tch. Be quiet!" Riku drew his SoulEater again and charged at Ansem. He jumped, but Ansem simply held out his hand, a barrier forming in front of him. Riku was sent flying again, this time catching his footing and forming his stance again.

"Stubborn boy." Ansem pulled out a blue Card and hurled it toward Riku, who caught it easily in his hand, "Then continue your fight, if you must. Eventually you will learn; you cannot resist the Darkness." He disappeared into his Dark portal again.

Riku looked at the Card. It had a picture of Atlantica on it, and he sighed. Not exactly his favorite world… He walked toward the door and lifted the Card. It glowed and he heard a faint _click_ behind the door. The card disappeared and he opened the door.

_Your Majesty, you'd better hurry up…_

"Argh, we've been travelling for DAYS! Nothing's changed here, nothing!" Saiyoku groaned, still tired, and even hungrier. She hadn't eaten since Traverse Town, which had probably been weeks since then. They were surely going to starve before they even got close.

"We'll get there eventually."

"Yeah, eventually… which is basically anyone saying 'I have no idea when we'll get there'."

"Don't you trust me, Saiyoku? We'll make it there in time! I promise!" The King looked back at her, who was walking with her hands behind her head.

"I do trust you, Mickey, it's just that, here… I sorta get the feeling that everything is hopeless… you know what I mean?"

"That's only because we're still in the Realm of Darkness. It makes everything feel depressing, just 'cause that's one of the properties of Darkness."

"I guess it's better for you since you're closer to the Light than I am. I'm in the middle, so the Darkness affects me more than it affects you."

"I think it'd be the other way around, don't you? I mean, the Darkness will do anything to try and change anyone in the Light, so it would try to affect me more than you, since you're already partially in the Dark."

"Then how come I'm the one having the most difficulty?"

"I think you're just impatient. You're eager to see Riku, aren't you?" He smiled.

Saiyoku blushed and stammered, "I—I… I don't…Hmm…" She gave a small sheepish grin.

"It's that obvious?"

"A little."

Saiyoku looked ahead at the road. All she could see was more fields. There had to be an end to them somewhere, or maybe, the Realm of Darkness went on forever. She sighed. There was nothing to do but to keep walking.


	4. Lexaeus and the Possession

After just leaving the fake Wonderland, Riku climbed the stairs, heading for the next door already. He pulled out his last Card he had received from Ansem, and held it up. It had a picture of that stupid potato sack's home: Halloween Town.

"Just one Card left," He looked up at the huge door ahead of him, "If I get through this… will I be free of the Darkness?" He walked up to the entrance into the next fake world and held up the Card again, the same familiar _click_ resounding from behind the door. He walked through into the dark, creepy world, ready to face whatever was inside.

"Saiyoku, why don't we take a rest? We've been walking for quite a while now." He turned around to see her already laid out on the ground.

"Finally!" She stretched out and closed her eyes, "No offense to you of course, Mickey. I'm just not used to walking this much anymore. I didn't really have a body this past year to gain any fighting experience or exercise this past year, so I kinda don't have as much endurance as I did before."

"Oh, I forgot. Well, when we get to that castle, if there are any Heartless or anything like that, I'll be sure to help ya out as much as I can. Who knows how strong they'll be." He sat down onto the ground next to her. She leaned back and put her arms behind her head, looking up at the sky.

"Mickey, your world… what's it like?"

"Disney Castle? Oh, it's amazing! We live in this huge castle with a garden that has all the bushes grown into different people and a huge throne room, where Queen Minnie sits with me sometimes. Then there's the secret of the whole castle. It's the reason why our world can't fade into Darkness. The Hall of the Cornerstone is right beneath the thrones, and in there is the Cornerstone of Light. The Cornerstone of Light keeps away all of the Darkness that could enter our world. No one knows about it but the people who reside in Disney Castle."

"Really? That's really nice to have it there. Destiny Islands has a door that has a Keyhole that appears sometimes. No one ever knew why it was there or how it ended up there or what was behind it, so we just left it alone. No one ever knew about the Darkness or about any other worlds up until now, and I think that all the people there that were swallowed up by the Darkness still don't know about anything that's happened."

"Hmm… that's a little different from what most worlds have. They all mostly have just a Keyhole without any door. I wonder why yours is different. What is Destiny Islands like?"

"Well, there's a chain of islands. There's the mainland, the island where all of us used to play, and a bunch of other islands where other's used to hang out. The mainland had the school and that was where the town was, where everyone lived. Of course, sometimes we kids would sleep on the other islands where we had built little shacks for ourselves. On the same island my friends and I went to was a special fruit that only grew on that island. It's called a Paopu, and they say that if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. Surprisingly enough, it actually works. It was very beautiful there, but, kinda boring. After awhile, there just wasn't enough to do. It was the same thing everyday."

"I can understand that. Sometimes even at Disney Castle, when I'm not very busy, there just isn't anything to do. I'm sure every world has that problem."

"You're probably right. Anyway, I'm gonna take a nap, so I'll be over here if you need me." Saiyoku got up and went into the tall grass, where the ground was a little softer. She laid down again and fell asleep quickly.

Riku pushed open the heavy door out of Halloween Town and back into Castle Oblivion. Immediately coming out of the door, Riku stood in his battle ready stance. Another man in a black coat stood opposite him, wielding a gigantic Axe Sword. He looked up at Riku with cold blue eyes like ice. The door shut behind him on its own as Riku stepped farther into the room.

"That scent… you're another one of those Nobodies!" Riku drew his Keyblade.

"You've done well, thus far," The burly man said, "But to posses your powers and yet… fear the Darkness… what a waste."

"I do NOT fear it!" Riku said, his anger boiling high already.

"I sense that you do. You're also capable of controlling the Darkness. Cast away your useless fear. Open your heart, embrace the Darkness." He said calmly.

"And if I say no?"

"Then you lose both Light and Darkness, and disappear." The man widened his stance and stomped on the ground, immediately sending up red and black tendrils of raw power, strong enough that Riku had to fight to stay standing. The power stopped and the man sat up straight again, "I, Lexaeus, will not yield to the frail heart of an infantile coward. Now, stop resisting, and let the Darkness in." He lifted his huge weapon and readied his stance.

Riku attacked first, doing little damage to this huge man with a few swings of his Keyblade. Lexaeus swung his Axe Sword like a boomerang, and it flew out and came back to him, hitting Riku only a few times. Riku came immediately back with more simple attacks but this time, strong. The Nobody used his boomerang attack a few more times, trying to knock Riku to the ground, before using his full brute strength to slash downward sending seismic waves on the ground around him. This went back and forth before Riku unleashed a full combo of strong slashes with his SoulEater, sending Lexaeus back to leaning on his weapon for support.

Riku was panting too, but summoned enough strength to end the fight.

"You're finished!" He jumped up to land an attack on Lexaeus from above, but the man quickly revived enough to lift his heavy Axe Sword and hit Riku squarely in both the chest and stomach.

"Don't mock me!"

Riku went flying up and hit the ceiling of the room with a heavy _thud_ and gasped for breath before he went falling face first to the ground. He lay unconscious on the ground while Lexaeus stood up straight, picking up his weapon again.

"You were too much trouble."

As he walked forward to take care of his enemy, dark vapor seemed to flow from Riku's body, and the same cocoon that had formed around Repliku covered the real Riku, leaving him in his Dark Form and completely revived. He knelt and disappeared instantly, slicing through Lexaeus so fast, the man could have never seen it coming. He dropped his weapon while Riku reappeared behind him.

"Too slow." Both Riku and Ansem's voice spoke, a clear sign of possession.

Lexaeus tried to keep his footing while turning to Riku, "You are the Superior's… forgive me Zexion. This was a fight I should not have started." He faded into Darkness, slowly dissipating into nothing. Riku turned around and smirked.

"Saiyoku! Saiyoku!" The King shook her hard, trying to get her to wake up.

"Mmph? What?" She said groggily, but the King shook her even harder.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up. Jeez, Mickey, just give me a second."

"Saiyoku! The Card!" He said urgently and pressed her to give it to him.

"Huh? Oh!" She reached in to her pocket and flinched when she pulled it out, nearly dropping it. It was swarming with small Dark tendrils.

"What's happening to it?"

"I think I know; that's why I need you to give it to me."

She handed him the card and right away, he brought forth his Keyblade. He did the same thing as before with the Card and the usual _click_ sounded. The light was faint, but it covered him again, and an image of Riku formed again.

"I see you now… clearly." The voice cooed, and Riku woke, floating in Darkness.

"Huh? Lexaeus?" He looked around, wary of the Dark mist around him.

"Riku… I can see your heart."

He shut his eyes and grimaced, "No… it's not… Darkness this foul could only… only be…"

"That's it… remember me… let me drift into your heart."

"Ansem!" Riku called out, looking up, knowing that he was there somewhere. A dark laugh surrounded him, as if he were everywhere at once.

"You called out my name. You have been thinking… about me. You're afraid of the Darkness I command. Good… The more you think of me… the closer my return draws… and when I have awoken… I will take hold…! You're heart will be mine!" He appeared in his usual Dark portal.

He reached out with a cruel smile on his face, coming closer to his former apprentice. Riku cried out and tried to get away, but was helpless from the lack of any solid object or even gravity. He held up his hands to shield himself when a light blocked out all of the Darkness for a moment. It faded and the small ball of Light that Riku had seen appeared in between him and Ansem, the King's voice radiating from it.

"_Riku! Fight! Don't let him win!"_

There was another flash of Light and instead of just the little ball, the King was standing in front of him, once again only an illusion.

"Oh…! Your Majesty!"

The King blocked Ansem from Riku with his arms outspread. This only annoyed Ansem more.

"You meddlesome King!"

Riku awoke again, this time on the floor of Castle Oblivion, with Lexaeus nowhere to be found.

"The King… he protected me… Your Majesty!? Where are you? Please answer!" He looked around the room, desperate to see someone he knew that would help him. When he didn't see anyone, he put his hand over his chest and sighed.

"You're with me… aren't you?" A faint smile crossed his face in understanding.

"Mickey! What happened? What was going on?" Saiyoku pleaded, taking the Card back and putting it in her pocket again.

"Ansem had taken over Riku for a very short time, but I got there fast enough to stop him from taking over his heart again. He's safe for now."

Saiyoku fell back and landed on the ground in relief. She sighed and looked up at the King, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For keeping Riku safe."


	5. Zexion's Lies

Riku climbed the stairs, not knowing what to do next. He had no more Cards, so he couldn't get through to the other floor. All of a sudden, a huge force shook the entire castle, even down to the basement where Riku was.

"Wha—? Huh? What? One of the scents has died. A really… strong one." He stood in his battle ready stance as another Dark portal opened up, revealing another man in a black coat. His silver-blue hair covered most of his face, so Riku couldn't tell his facial expression.

"The keeper of this castle, Marluxia, has just been felled by the Keyblade Master."

"Keyblade… You mean Sora! Sora is here!?" Riku was totally surprised. He hadn't heard anything about Sora or anyone else since he arrived.

"Yes. Want to see him? But, can you face him?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The World of Darkness and Ansem's shadow still nest within your heart. Do you plan to face Sora like that? Are you not ashamed? Sora's fate is to battle the Darkness. He must oppose anyone who hosts the Dark. In other words, it's you. If you don't believe the words I say," He chucked another Card at Riku, who caught it easily, "Then you had best see the truth with your own eyes."

Riku glanced at the Card before doing a double-take.

"This Card… This is our…"

"Yes… it is your home." The man disappeared the same way he had come, leaving Riku alone.

"Wait! Is Saiyoku here too!?" But it was too late. The man had vanished, and Riku ran to the door, wanting to enter the world and see Sora. As soon as he passed through, he gasped as he watched his home being destroyed.

"Huh? This is… that night!" Riku saw the huge orb of pure Darkness that had pulled Sora from the Island hanging over what was left of their home.

"All of the islands you grew up on were sundered, scattered. Many hearts were forever lost to the Darkness… because of what you did!" The man was suddenly next to Riku, and he pointed to a cliff, where an image of Riku was standing, "You hated being an islander, so you opened the Door to Darkness and destroyed the islands. It was you!"

Riku backed away, not believing that he had caused all of this. He could feel the guilt creeping up on him, but the man continued.

"You were pulled into the Darkness then, and now you belong to the Darkness."

Riku gripped his chest as if in pain, afraid to find out what worse things he had caused.

"You should look, look at what you TRULY are!"

The image of Riku disappeared in black smoke, and a huge Darkside Heartless rose up from under the cliff. Riku shut his eyes as if to make it go away, but came to the decision that he would have to fight it. The Heartless brought down his hands and smaller Shadows grew from the Darkness that erupted from the ground beneath them.

"Mickey, look! What's that?" Saiyoku pointed off to the distance, where a blue object was floating above the road.

"Let's find out." He ran up to the object and waved for her to follow. She caught up to him to find him holding the object, which was a blue Card with a picture of a town with a huge bell tower in the middle.

"Have you ever been to this place?"

"I'm sure I haven't…"

"Why do you seem so unsure?"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and both the King and Saiyoku shielded their eyes. When it faded, they were standing in a white room with a high ceiling and pillars. A short staircase was in front of them.

"Where… oh! We saw Riku here!" Saiyoku looked around the room, "Riku! Riku? Where are you?" She turned around and looked at the door. _Maybe he's in there…_ She turned around again towards the stairs to see the King already running up the stairs.

"Wait! Mickey!" She called out and ran after him. He had his Keyblade drawn and was facing a man with silver-blue hair that covered his face in a black coat.

"Who are you?" He asked, and the stranger tossed him another Card.

"Go through the door and see what awaits you." The man disappeared through a Dark portal and the King looked at the Card.

"Where is this?"

"Lemme see it." She took the Card, "This… this is our island! It's Destiny Islands!"

"Your home?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

The Darkside was finished, leaving Riku panting in exhaustion. He hadn't slept in ages. He looked for the mysterious man, but saw someone else standing where his image had been.

"Huh? Sora! Sora!" He ran up to him, "Sora, it's me."

Sora turned around, nearly missing Riku with his Keyblade.

"What?"

He jumped up and Riku just managed to draw his Keyblade in time to block his attack.

"Stop it Sora! Don't you recognize me?"

"Yeah, I recognize you. I can see… exactly what you've become." He backed off and a beam of Light shot from the end of his Keyblade. It hit Riku squarely in the chest, sending him flying. He struggled to sit up, electric-like waves rolling off him.

"How can the Light hurt you? Riku… have you really become a creature of the Dark? You're not Riku anymore… You're just a pawn of the Darkness." Sora looked sad, more like he was disappointed. Riku's eyes widened; he couldn't believe that Sora was really against him, even after he had forgiven him in the end.

"So be it," He looked straight at Riku, his mind made up, "It's time for you to face the Light!" He lifted his Keyblade to the sky, and Light gathered at the tip. The Light covered Riku, and he could feel himself fading into it.

"Riku? Mickey?" Saiyoku called out, looking around. The King had disappeared again; she was alone.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"Riku!" She turned around and saw him standing there, arms crossed with a scowl on his face. Her smile faded, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"You? I don't even recognize you."

"What do you mean? It's me, Saiyoku!"

"I don't know anyone by the name of Saiyoku."

"What the heck are you talking about!? I lived on Destiny Islands with you, Kairi, and Sora!"

"Kairi and Sora are names I recognize, but you… no."

Saiyoku gritted her teeth and drew her Keyblade, "How could you not remember me!? After all I did for you! After all last year! You DON'T recognize me!? I guess I'll have to jog your memory… no matter what it takes!" She lunged at him, spinning around before catching him in the back. He turned and parried it with his own Keyblade, faster than she was expecting.

"Get out of here, Saiyoku!"

"Huh?" She turned to the voice and saw the King, his Keyblade raised.

"That's not Riku! He's too much for you to handle! Go find the real Riku!" The King jumped in between Riku and Saiyoku.

"Not… Riku?"

"How did you know?" The Riku fake faded away to show the man from before.

"You have the same scent of Darkness as before."

"Well, aren't you a smart King?"

"Saiyoku! Go!"

"R-right." She ran away past the destroyed huts and tree houses.

"I'd like to stay longer, but I have to take care of a few things." The stranger disappeared through his usual Dark portal, leaving the King alone.

"_I'm… fading… fading away… into the Light…"_

"_You won't fade. You can't fade. There's no power that can defeat you." _An image of Kairi appeared to him, and she smiled, _"Not the Light… not the Dark. So don't run from the Light, and don't fear the Darkness… because both will make you stronger."_

"_Make me stronger? Darkness too?"_

"_Yeah, strength that's yours. The Darkness inside your heart… it's fast and it's deep, but if you can, truly stare into it and never try to look away. You won't be afraid of anything again."_

"_All this time I've tried… to push the Darkness away."_

"_You've gotta just remember to be brave. Know that the Darkness is there and don't give in. If you do that, you will gain strength. The kind that's unlike any other. You'll be able to escape the deepest Darkness."_

"_And I'll be able to see through… the brightest Light."_

"_Follow the Darkness. It'll show you the way to your friends."_

"_Can I face them?"_

"_You don't want to?" _Her image seemed to split, two people who looked a lot alike. They both spoke, but then they returned to each other again.

"_You know I do. Of course."_

Kairi's image disappeared, a smile still on her face.

"_And I will. With my strength… my Dark strength!"_ Riku found himself within the Light again, and he raised his hands. _"Darkness!"_

The Dark cocoon closed over him instantly, leaving him in his Dark Form again, his Keyblade already present. He turned around, already sensing another Dark presence. He slashed right through the air, knowing who it was. The Light faded, and Riku was free of the man's illusion.

Sora gripped at the air in front of him, his voice not his own, but the man's.

"Impossible!" Sora's figure faded and became the stranger's, who fell to the ground in pain. He managed to stand up, "How is it that you found me, when you were there in the Light?"

"You reek of Darkness. Even the Light can't block the smell."

The man gasped as a small, smug grin appeared on Riku's face.

"I guess I followed the Darkness right to you."

"This is absurd! Then I shall make you see… that all of your hopes are nothing! Nothing but a mere illusion!" The man pulled out a very thick book, the pages flickering on their own. Riku cocked his head slightly, as if amused, but curious about what the book could do to him. The Nobody threw the book out at him, opening up and trying to close Riku inside. He stepped back and slashed at it with his sword, but the pages that came out attacked him, and they were no ordinary pages.

The book returned to the man's arms while Riku managed to bat the pages down. He summoned some of his Dark powers and blasted Dark Aura spheres toward him, all homing in on the enemy. More of the pages fell out and sharply sliced through Riku, who swatted at them until they split in half, fluttering to the ground like the others. He used his Dark Firaga, which divided into three walls of fire, surrounding the man and closing in.

He opened the book and summoned a huge black tornado of Darkness that Riku sliced right through, cutting into the Nobody and ending his illusions. The man slunk back and kneeled on one knee, trying to hold himself up.

"Gah, after all your protests, you're still like us on the side of Darkness." The man smirked.

"I know who I am!"

"When did that happen?" He stood up, teetering in place, "You were always terrified of the Dark before."

"Not anymore!" Riku shouted as he charged the man, slashing him nearly in half. The man cried out in a mangled scream of pain before vanishing through his Dark portal. Riku returned to his normal state, his Keyblade disappearing as well.

"That takes care of him. Now… if I get out of here… will I be able to find Sora? I wonder… if Sora's here… then does that mean Saiyoku's here as well?" He looked up past the forsaken islands and saw the entrance back into Castle Oblivion, "Well, only one way to find out."


	6. Reunion: The Replica's Last Thoughts

Riku pushed through the door, leaving the fake Destiny Islands behind. No sign of anyone in the hallway, as usual. There weren't any signs of any Nobodies either. He walked up the following stairs and got to about the middle of the hallway before a familiar voice crept into the room.

"Riku… Riku!"

He stopped and stood at his 'ready' stance.

"Who's there?"

"I know you can feel it… The grip that I have on your heart."

Riku gasped and clutched his chest, knowing exactly who it was.

"You have let in the Darkness, Riku. That means… very soon, your heart shall become an all-consuming Darkness."

"I'm not like that now!"

"Yes you are…"

A sudden force came over Riku, holding him still; arms and legs spread wide, Dark tendrils flowing off his body.

"No! Can't move…"

"The deeper the Darkness runs inside you, the stronger I become. Controlling you is effortless."

Another small ball of Light came from the stairwell, circling Riku before entering into this chest, into his heart. The grip Ansem had on Riku loosened, and Riku could feel his anger welling up inside him.

"Must you interfere again!?"

Riku fell forward, catching himself and panting, the near-possession having sapped his strength.

"Whew! Sure glad I made it in time!"

Riku climbed to his feet and turned to see his savior.

"That oughta keep Ansem busy for a while."

"Huh?"

The King stood at the top of the stairwell before crossing the room to Riku. "Sorry I couldn't get here sooner, Riku."

"Your Majesty… Is it you?"

"Ahuh."

Riku approached him and gripped the King on the side of his head, making sure he was all really there.

"Whoah! That tickles!"

Riku gave a small laugh of relief, "This time you're not an illusion."

"Hey! Mickey! How come you always do that!? You leave me behind to deal with the Heartless while you just run off on ahead! That's really no fair, Your Majesty!"

Saiyoku ran up the stairs and paused at the top, doubled-over to catch her breath. She glanced up for just a second before taking a deep breath, "Please don't do that Mi…ckey…" She straightened up and saw Riku standing there, looking just as stunned as she was.

"Saiyoku?"

"Riku!" She ran over to the two guys and a huge smile broke over on her face, "It's about time we found you."

"You were with the King the whole time? And you didn't even let me know you were okay?"

"He did say 'we', didn't he? I figured you would've caught on to that at least. C'mon, I thought you used to be one of the smart ones of the group, right?"

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Same here. What would you do without us?"

He closed his eyes and grinned, but opened his eyes wide when he found Saiyoku's arms around him.

"We finally made it…" She muttered to herself, and Riku's face grew red. He wrapped his arms around her hesitantly for a while before she pushed him away to get a better look at him.

"Now, you ARE okay, aren't you?"

"Just fine. I'm just so glad you two could make it here."

"I made a promise to you that we would find a way, didn't I?" The King smiled.

Riku collapsed onto the ground, worrying both Mickey and Saiyoku.

"Ah, I'm okay. Don't worry. Guess I'm just relieved. I… I've been alone so long… that having someone else around is… is a little… overwhelming."

"Scared me there for a second. You of course had to go doing that right after I asked you if you were completely okay…"

He ignored her, knowing her sarcasm usually wasn't something to mess with. He had dealt with it for almost an entire year in his head. Absolutely no end and no escape to it…

"But uh… how did you make it here? I thought it was too far."

"We found a card to help us." The King pulled out the same Card that had gotten them there, "We needed a way out of the Realm of Darkness. And then suddenly this Card appeared right in front of us. When I picked it up, I could see your heart beyond the Darkness. That's what let me find exactly where you were. It was a stronger connection than the paths I had used before to talk to you. I guess the Card thought its place was to be with you." He handed Riku the Card.

"Maybe you're right…"

"I will never understand these Card things. We were given another one by a man in a black coat, kinda like the one we saw in Destiny Islands, right Mickey? The one who had impersonated Riku," The King nodded, "The Card was black instead of blue, and had a picture of this castle on it. When you look at it, it has a reflection, even when there isn't any Light around. Check it out, and see for yourself. Tell me what the glare is in the shape of too."

She handed him the black Card too, and he held it up to get a better look at the reflection. He saw himself in it, but the problem was, his eyes were closed in the reflection, like he was asleep, which he was certainly not doing at the moment.

"It's my reflection… but…"

"Your eyes are closed, aren't they? I can look at it and see you in the reflection, not my own. Same for the King. It's very strange, but this Card is how we could talk to you at times, and how we knew when Ansem was trying to take hold of your heart."

Riku handed the Card back to Saiyoku and stood up, facing the next door.

"We still have a few more floors to go. I guess that this is the last Card I have then…" He looked down at the Card he had received from the King.

"We'll go with you all the way. Don't worry. We won't leave your side unless you ask us to."

"Thanks." He lifted the Card and the doors opened, revealing a world none of them had ever been to before. The town was barely inhabited, a few people here and there. The sun was setting and there was the huge bell tower on a hill above the rest of the town.

He ran down a hill past some shops and entered a huge open market, where a tram circled around. Coming down the hill, Riku could see that no one was there and the tram wasn't even up and running.

"Where am I? What is this place? Oh! Your Majesty? Saiyoku?" He turned to see his two friends gone again, when another Dark portal opened up in front of him.

_Well, look who it is…_

"You must battle me all alone. Against my Dark powers." Ansem stood in a fighting stance.

Riku growled and drew his Keyblade, taking his stance as well. They stood facing each other for awhile before Riku backed down.

"What's this? Are you giving up? Finally ready to surrender to your fate?"

"You're not the true Ansem."

"Oh…" The man blurted out in surprise, lowering his hands.

"Your scent is different. The Ansem in my heart smells Darker. The odor is more foul. But… your scent just isn't that. It's not Darkness… it's something else. I finally understand. You're the one who guided me, when it started. You came to me pretending to be Ansem. You gave me the Card, to make me face the Darkness."

"Ansem's" figure blurred and became that of another man, his face wrapped in a long red ribbon, his stunningly orange right eye and mouth were the only visible features.

"That is correct."

The man wore a red cape over a black, orange, and gray tunic, several packs hanging in the front.

"DiZ, or so I am known. You, I've watched you all along."

"Really… who are you? And what do you want from me?" Riku's eyes narrowed, wary of this new character.

"For you to choose."

"Choose?"

"You are a special entity. You exist between Light and Dark. You stand in the Twilight, just as your friend is. Of course, I believe she is more aimed toward the Light than you are. You are to meet Naminè, then choose."

"Naminè? Who's that?"

"You will know soon." DiZ told him, and melted into a little ball of Light before shooting up into the sky, almost like something out of a computer.

"Great… more decisions to make. Just what I need…" He walked around, following the tram's road until he came to a huge crack in the town's surrounding wall. He walked through it easily, curious to what was behind it. It opened up into a huge forest, the trees in this part farther apart than the rest. He clambered through, seeing a mansion beyond the trees and undergrowth.

The mansion was surrounded by another wall; a giant rod iron gate led to the entrance of the huge house, which was practically falling apart.

"Maybe Naminè is here…" Riku stared up at the windows on the second or possibly third floor.

"Hold it!" An all-too familiar voice called out behind him and he twisted around. _Well what do you know? My copy decided to show up after a long-term absence._

Repliku walked toward him, already in his Dark Form.

"Pff, you've changed. You're on Darkness. It doesn't frighten you anymore."

"How can you tell?"

"Because I'm you."

"No, I'm me." Riku narrowed his eyes. Who did this guy think he is? Riku is Riku, and this guy is just a fake, a model.

"'I'm me', he says. Must be nice being real. A fake like me could never get away with saying that. That's right! I'm a phony! A fake! The way I look, the way I feel, everything I remember! And even… this newfound power!" A Dark aura covered him, feeding him Darkness; it caught Riku by surprise.

"I thought by finding some new strength, I could finally be SOMEONE! Someone who's not at all you!" The Dark aura faded, "But… nothing changes. I'm still just empty!" His tone changed from anger to misery; his voice choked like he was holding back tears, "Everything about me is borrowed. As long as you're around… I'll never be more than a shadow!" The hate crept back into his voice and he drew his Keyblade.

Riku summoned his and stood in his battle ready stance. Repliku held in his hand an orb made of the Darkness, an electric-like current rolling off his body. He slashed down his weapon and sent a wave of Dark Firaga toward the real Riku. He narrowly missed, Riku having jumped away just in time. He jumped toward the fake and landed an attack on his shoulder from above, backing away before Repliku had time to counterattack. Riku met him with a flurry of attacks, not letting him get the chance to strike back, leaving him helpless to defend himself.

Repliku jumped up to avoid the next barrage and aimed a Dark ball right at him, but Riku leaped into the air next to him, catching him on the back and sending him down like a rocket onto the ground. The fake was done, a black pool of Darkness erupting from beneath where he lay spread-eagle.

"So… it's over. Hmph. Death doesn't frighten me. Good riddens to a phony life. My heart was… never real. I'm sure that even what I'm feeling now… is probably all fake."

"What are you feeling?" Riku asked, feeling just a twinge of regret.

"What happens when a fake dies? One like me… where will my heart go? Does it disappear?"

"It'll go somewhere. Maybe… to the same place as mine."

"Tch, a faithful replica until the very end. That's… okay." Those were his last words as his body finally faded into nothing, the last swirls of Darkness dissipating away.

Riku said nothing, but stared at the spot a moment longer until he decided it was time for him to find Naminè. He opened the iron gate and passed the rubble of what must have been archways. The place was practically empty save for a few artifacts here and there. Rotting pictures and crumbling statues made the most of it. He peeked through several different doors and climbed down a stairwell into a computer room, where there was only one door to go through. It led to an open room that had several other doors, all but one completely destroyed. There was another hallway with weird pod-like things on the side, like closed up lotus flowers.

The room beyond the hallway was completely white; a strange foggy tone to it, as if the whole atmosphere was to be white. A huge egg-like pod was in the middle, the main reason for the room. He looked around before seeing a young girl about Kairi's age hiding behind the pod. When she peeked around and saw who it was, she came out. She wore a simple knee-length white dress and sandals. Her hair was long and blonde, but she had piercing blue eyes with much wisdom despite her looks.

"Are you Naminè?" Riku asked, surprised that she was someone he felt like he knew.

"Yes." She said, her voice familiar as well.

"I see… that was you!"

"Hm?"

"Forget it. Nothing." Riku shook his head.

"Please. Come this way." Naminè moved out of the way so Riku could see the pod properly. He looked closely at it before realizing who was in it. He gasped and ran to it, not sure if he was seeing things.

"Sora!"

His friend didn't respond. He was fast asleep, but Riku turned on Naminè.

"What have you done to Sora!?"

"Nothing." Her tone suggested him to calm down, "He's just asleep… to get his memory back."

"What?"

"Let me explain."


	7. Choice

"So… Sora chose to forget about this castle and get his old memories back?"

"You have a choice to make too."

Riku looked up at the pod where Sora was sleeping, "But why me too? No one's messed with my memories."

"It's not your memories… it's your Darkness… In your heart there is Darkness, and in that Darkness is Ansem. He may be at bay for now, but eventually he'll wake, and he will take over you just like he did before. But I have powers you can use. With my powers, I can put a tight lock on your heart. That way, Ansem could never come out from inside you."

"What happens to me if you do that? Will I forget… everything? Like Sora? … I'll have to." Riku clutched at his chest.

"The Darkness in you will be sealed tight just like your memory. You'll stop remembering the Darkness. You'll go back to how you were. Riku… please choose."

Riku sighed and looked back up at Sora. He chuckled, "He doesn't even look worried. Will I sleep like that too?"

"Yes."

"Figures… Sora always did as he pleased." He smiled, "Whatever we'd be doing together, he'd find a way to slack off. Even trying to leave the islands; I did all the work on the raft with Saiyoku, while he took a nap. That's it. When this slacker wakes up, I'll tell him off! I told him to take care of Kairi, and here he is just taking a nap!" He looked over at Naminè, "But… I can't chew him out like he deserves… if I've been asleep." He waved his finger as if he was scolding a child.

Naminè laughed.

"I don't need my heart locked. I'm ready… I'm gonna fight Ansem."

Naminè's smile faded, "But what if his Darkness overtakes you?"

"If that happens, then the Darkness will show me the way."

Her smile came back, "Yes… that's true."

Riku raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "Hmph… why do I get the feeling that you knew I would say that?"

"I didn't know. I hoped. I wanted YOU to face the Darkness because… you're the one who can."

Riku relaxed, "So that's the reason. That's why you came to my rescue inside that Light in the form of Kairi."

"When'd you know?"

"I knew when I met you. You and Kairi smell the same." He held up his hand to his nose. When she just smiled, he turned and left.

"Look after Sora." He called back to her, and she nodded.

He left the room back through the hallway and up the stairs. He walked through one of the doors in the foyer and found himself back in the castle, Mickey and Saiyoku waiting for him.

"Gosh, I guess you decided not to go to sleep."

"Well, look who decided to come out." Saiyoku stood up straight from leaning against the wall."

"How'd you two know? And where were you guys?" The door closed behind Riku.

"We walked through the door with you, but the problem was, we went straight through here. We never went to that world on the Card, but you did. We were wondering where YOU were. You just disappeared."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, we heard it from DiZ."

"Heard what?"

"About your choice." Saiyoku walked over to the two guys, her face a little skeptical for some strange reason, like she was thinking something through.

They all looked over to the side of the hall where the man who called himself DiZ was leaning against the wall. He looked up and noticed them staring at him, so he moved to the middle of the room.

"Do either of you know him?" Riku asked, wary of this guy.

Saiyoku shook her head while the King thought hard, "Well, I'm not sure. Gotta feeling that I've met him… somewhere."

Riku approached him, "Hey, who are you?"

His deep voice seemed empty, "I could be nobody… or anybody. It is up to you whether you choose to believe in me or not."

"Boy, you really like pushing decisions on other people." Riku said, annoyed with the constant choices he had to make.

"And you have pushed away slumber, making the choice to face Ansem."

"Do you think I'm reckless?"

"You have chosen your own path."

"Are you supporting me? Or are you abandoning me?"

"That will be your choice as well." DiZ walked forward, holding out his arm. On it hung three black coats like the Nobodies had worn. Riku took one while DiZ passed out the other two to Saiyoku and Mickey. Saiyoku held hers up, examining it.

"What are they?"

"The Organization will pursue you. Like a pack of hunting dogs, they will sneak up on you if they sense your presence. However, this cloak that is worn by Nobodies will render their eyes and their noses useless." DiZ looked over at Mickey, "The ears… not so."

Riku lifted his up while Saiyoku asked, "Organization?"

"Yes. The Nobodies that you will see wearing this cloak are all part of a group called Organization XIII. Thirteen members in all, of course, during your time here, Riku… you seem to have taken out two of them, and Sora rid the Organization of three. They are now down to eight members, but will surely gain new members.

"They wear this to give themselves protection from being devoured by Darkness. Is it clear? Even the Organization cannot rule the Darkness."

"Doesn't matter. I won't run from the Darkness."

DiZ smirked and pulled out another Card. He tossed it to Riku, who caught it nimbly. It had a picture of the castle on it.

"The Card will draw out your heart's Darkness. Finish your business with Ansem."

Riku pocketed the Card and glanced over at the King and Saiyoku, "C'mon. Let's go."

The two others nodded and followed Riku past DiZ, silent. They climbed the stairs, Saiyoku stopping for just a moment to peek back. DiZ had vanished; just up and left without a trace.

"Hmph." She smirked and caught up with her two friends. They all stopped at the foot of the stairs, waiting for Riku to make his choice. He pulled out the Card and gazed at the door, "He said this Card… will draw Ansem out."

"Don't worry! We can defeat him together!" The King told him, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah. If you need any help with him, we'll be there with you."

"Now how come the last time you said that you disappeared?"

"Unimportant."

"Sorry Your Majesty… I've gotta face him alone."

"But why!?" The King asked, not expecting him to turn down their offer.

"There's no point in doing this if I can't do it on my own. But I do need…" He turned to both of them, "…A favor. If Ansem is the victor, he is going to enslave me. If that happens, both of you use your powers to destr—"

"Of course!" The King cut in, "We'll be right there to save ya!"

Riku looked appalled and slightly confused, "Huh? No, that's not it. I want you to des—"

"No way!" Mickey told him.

"C'mon Riku, you really think that we'd actually let him do that to you? I'll make sure that he doesn't possess you. Unlike last time, I actually have a body. I'll be more effective than just being a life force now." She placed her hand on his shoulder and grinned.

"We promise you that we'll watch out for ya! Unless, you don't believe we'll come through for ya."

"I choose to believe in both of you… always, Your Majesty, Saiyoku." A small grin flashed on his face for a few seconds.

"And I in you."

"We believe that you can defeat him. And I know you will."

"Thanks."

"Good luck, Riku. We'll be waiting for you!" Saiyoku said, a huge smile on her face.

"Yeah." He nodded in reassurance and stepped up to the door.


	8. Way to the Dawn

A huge hall stretched before him, no sign of Ansem anywhere. Riku could barely see past the darkness that loomed ahead. Deciding there was no use to just stand there like a coward and wait for his enemy, he ran into the Darkness, expecting Ansem to show up. He slowed and stopped after some time, panting heavily.

_I'm getting absolutely nowhere…_

He drew SoulEater and straightened up, readying himself. "Ansem! Where are you!? Show yourself!"

A menacing chuckle was his answer. "Why in such a hurry? I'll be here at the very heart of Darkness, watching you plunge into the same Darkness… inside of you."

"Tch." Riku's lip curled in fury. He bolted forward, ready to take this "former master" of his down.

Light began to pierce the unending Darkness, and he arrived in a room at the end of the tunnel. Calmly walking forward, Riku felt the Darkness nearby.

"I smell you Ansem. Show yourself!"

Ansem appeared in the opening of a Darkness portal, relaxed, not at all scared of this fifteen year old boy.

"I have watched you fight. I know your strength. Your skill with Darkness has grown; it has become more mature. And yet why? Why do you accept the Darkness but still refuse ME? You know you and I are similar. We both follow where the Darkness leads. Indeed, we are the same. So why… does some part of your heart still have a fear of the Dark?"

"That's not it." Riku shook his head, "The truth is… I just can't stand your foul stench!" He raised his Keyblade, standing at the ready.

"You are a fool. You should know my powers well by now," His calm tone was the same.

"Yeah, I know. Or did you forget? I used all the power you had to give, and Sora still beat me. I'm not at all impressed with your powers."

"Very well. In that case…" His anger breached its limit, and he summoned all the Darkness he could, "…You shall sink into the abyss!"

The Darkness swallowed them both, its power overwhelming. Riku was back on the same gray islands that had been what was left of the worlds when Sora fought Ansem. A huge black tentacle nearly struck right through him, narrowly missing. A Heartless of massive strength hovered behind Ansem, bound and furious.

"Hmph." Ansem gave a satisfactory smirk, enjoying his strength. The Heartless reached out, grabbing for Riku, who side-stepped and closed in to the side. He dodge-rolled behind him and sliced down the back of the Heartless. It roared in pain and summoned two Dark orbs with an immense amount of energy. They spun around Ansem and his "weapon" and Riku with incredible force, sending him flying across the island.

Riku landed with a _thud_, but revived quickly, hopping up onto his feet and trying a more direct approach. He zigzagged across the dull sand and slid underneath the hovering Ansem, spinning around and circling his Keyblade around them both, the two Dark entities cringing in pain. The Heartless writhed and, now infuriated, sent a flurry of attacks, including the Dark orbs as well as Dark Firaga, and numerous melee attacks. The attacks overwhelmed the hero of both Light and Dark and he took much damage and was sent skidding to a stop at the edge of the island. He crawled to his feet, his energy depleting, and summoned enough strength to end the fight. He pulled some of his own life force and re-directed it to his SoulEater, the Keyblade glowing blue. He dashed forward, ripping through Ansem with a quick slash of his sword.

The islands disappeared, and the white room fizzed into view. Neither of them were down, but they had both taken a good amount of hits to have them gasping for breath. Ansem gathered another Dark orb and sent it flying toward Riku, "Insolent BRAT!"

The orb had grown larger, now feeding off the anger and Darkness Ansem held. It held itself against Riku's Keyblade, who was struggling to defend himself. He pushed it forward, groaning against the sheer force of it. With one more swing of his sword, the orb vanished; Riku had had enough.

"ANSEM!" He screamed, running toward Ansem faster than he ever had before through total force of will, slashing through Ansem in one swing. The Darkness Master was caught off guard, and suffered for it.

"This is… the end!" Riku told him, gritting his teeth.

"This… is hardly… the end…" Ansem groaned, "Your Darkness… I gave it ALL to you. My Dark shadow… lingers… someday… someday… I will RETURN!" His being internally combusted into Darkness; the last remnants of Ansem's reign over Darkness swallowing Riku into nothingness.

"Saiyoku… Sora… Kairi…" Riku's voice was faded in the thick blackness.

Another ball of light appeared in front of him, the King's voice emanating from it, "Gosh, Riku. I know you wanted to do this alone, but you don't mind getting' a little help, do ya?"

The King and Riku's faded image pulled through out of the Darkness, enough so they could at least find each other. The King grabbed Riku's arm and slung it over his shoulder to help support him. Together, they wandered forth into the Light, where Saiyoku's image was waiting, half-smiling.

"Saiyoku…"

Her grin widened as she shook her head, her arm outstretched, waiting for him to grab hold of her hand so she could pull them back into the castle and out of the Darkness. He took it as she whispered, "Let's get you out of here, okay?"

He nodded, "Hm," and all three of them were sucked back into the Light.

The door was behind them, another one just up ahead. It was finally over. They were going to get out of the castle and back into the Realm of Light. They all smiled at each other when they saw their way out, and moved forward, all in synch.

"So you two… what happens next? Are you going home?" The King asked them. Riku stopped and sighed, "We can't go home… not yet. It's still here… it's really faint but… I can sense him. So… I think his Darkness may still have a hold on me."

"Well, Riku, your Darkness belongs to you, just the same way your Light does. Up til now, I used to think that Darkness was something that should never exist. Then, I spent time with the both of you, and changed my mind. The road you and Saiyoku chose, I didn't know. Light and Dark, back to back? With you two, I think they might meet in a way nobody's seen before. Wonder where that road leads. I'd like to see myself."

Riku looked at Saiyoku and back at Mickey, who was holding his hand out.

"Hm?"

"I'd like to walk the road with ya guys."

Riku chuckled a bit and kneeled down to the King's height to shake his hand. Saiyoku placed her hand on Riku's shoulder and smiled, joining the group.

"Your Majesty, I'm really flattered. I don't know what to say."

"Gosh, Riku. You know you don't have to call me that now. We're pals. I told Saiyoku this a while ago too, when we both agreed to look for you together."

Riku smiled, "Fair enough… Mickey."

"As for me, well… I'm not letting Sora get away with taking all the glory for himself. There's obviously a new problem now, so none of us can go home. That Organization XIII seemed like a pretty bit antagonist group, and they were strong. It'll take a while before we can get rid of them all. In other words, I'm sticking around." Saiyoku added.

"Alright, then we're all traveling together. Wonder where we could be heading?" Mickey pondered, while Riku stood up and looked at Saiyoku.

"You sure you want to come with us? It'll be really dangerous and you haven't had as much fighting experience as—"

Saiyoku simply threw him a skeptical look and raised an eyebrow.

"Right… sorry."

"Leon already gave me the 'you can't go because you're not strong enough' speech. Don't want to hear it so don't waste your breath." She walked past him and looked up at the huge door.

"Leon? Who's Leon?"

"Hey, don't you think we should put these on now?" Saiyoku pulled out her Organization XIII coat and pulled out the pants. They went on easily over her shorts and boots and slid the shoes over her own as well. It was all built to go on over their normal clothes, so it was easy to look normal when you wanted to as well as keep out the Organization's sight. She pulled on the coat and zipped it downward, ending the zipper around her knees and hooking together the silver chain that hung around the neck.

"Oh, you're right. Your Majes—oh, I mean, Mickey. We're putting on our Organization clothes on. You might want to do the same." Riku pulled out his and nudged the King.

When they were all dressed in black and looked like legit Organization XIII members, they opened the door and found themselves in yet ANOTHER field.

"Are. You. Kidding me!?" Saiyoku shouted gripping her forehead and groaning.

"What?"

"Me and the King were traveling through a field that looked EXACTLY like this one for MILES! If it wasn't for that Card, we'd still be there."

"There is one difference though, Saiyoku."

"Hm? What's that, Mickey?"

"It's daytime here. See? There's light!"

She looked again, and true enough, it was light outside instead of night.

"Well, whaddya know."

"C'mon. I'm sure we'll get somewhere." Riku walked ahead of them, Saiyoku following him obediently. The King shut the door and chased after them, the door so large and heavy that they had already gotten ahead while he had closed it.

The three travelers were silent for most of the way, and walked until it grew dark, the day fading away. Riku pushed forward, something just seemed to keep him moving, until they came upon a crossroads, an all-too familiar figure standing before them.

Riku narrowed his eyes and stood at an angle, a clear sign that he was ready to pull out his Keyblade at any time.

"What are you making me choose now?" Riku asked him, cautious.

"Between the road to Light, and the road to Darkness." DiZ told him, gesturing toward the two paths on either side of him.

"Neither suits me." Riku simply went around him, toward the road that stretched on behind him, "I'm taking the middle road."

"Do you mean the Twilight road to nightfall?"

"No." Riku froze and looked behind him, a crooked smile on his face, "It's the road to Dawn."

DiZ smiled and bowed his head, "I see. Very well then. I hope to see all of you soon."

With that, he disappeared in his usual way: melting into a ball of light before vanishing up into the air. Saiyoku and the King continued on to follow him on the same path he had chosen.

"Good answer." Saiyoku told him. Then she laughed, "Great. Now I sound like that stupid prophetical voice that comes from time to time. It's the same thing it told me when I chose this path."

"Hm. What did you tell it?"

"That I didn't want to be on a road to Twilight. I wanted to be on a path that I could make my own, one that I could rise to the top in. As I put it, it was the way to the Rising Dawn. Thus, I have named my Keyblade just that."

"We're much more similar than I would've ever thought."

"Keep dreaming." She walked ahead this time, Riku stunned at her sudden turn of tone; the sarcasm had returned. He sighed.

"Glad to know you think so too…"

**To be continued in Sleeping Light…**


End file.
